The Palace of Gordian occupies a commanding position at the northern end of the site, overlooking the Decumanus and the plain beyond. It was the governor's residence and official seat of Roman administration for the region, built on a scale that announced the empire's authority clearly. The remains of its colonnaded courtyard, private bath complex, and series of formal reception rooms give a clear sense of how a senior Roman official would have lived at the edge of the empire.
Standing in the ruins of the courtyard, looking out over the olive groves on the plateau, it is not hard to imagine why the Romans found this a reasonable place to build a city. The land is fertile, the spring water plentiful, and the views across the Moroccan plain to the hills beyond are genuinely beautiful.